The present invention relates to a technical field of such as an ink cartridge for supplying ink to a printer head of a recording apparatus such as an ink-jet type printer, as well as an ink filling device for supplying ink to the interior of the ink cartridge.
Conventionally, with used ink cartridges of this type, from the viewpoint that if the used ink cartridges were discarded as such, resources would be waisted and environmental destruction would be promoted, it has been recommended to refill new ink to promote their reuse.
However, since a seal member of an ink supplying portion of the ink cartridge is generally broken by an ink supplying needle on the printer apparatus side during use, it has been difficult to reuse the ink cartridge unless regeneration processing is carried out.
With the ink cartridge in accordance with the above-described prior art, since it is necessary to completely peel off the broken seal member from the ink supplying portion for the purpose of the reuse of the ink cartridge, and it is necessary to attach an unused seal member and refill ink into the case, it has been considered very difficult for printer users who are able to carry out operations of merely replenishing ink to effect the regeneration processing of the used ink cartridges.
In addition, with ink cartridges of this type, in the case of unused ink cartridges at a time of supplying ink to the interior of foam for retaining the ink, it has been the general practice to automatically fill the ink through their ink injection holes as part of their assembly line, or in the case of refilling (refill-processing) ink into used ink cartridges, it has been the general practice to use an ink injecting tool shaped in the form of a syringe (prior art).
In addition, as in, for instance, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 17052/1995 (publicly known example), an ink supplying device has been disclosed in which a porous member impregnated with ink is wrapped in a film member and is inserted into a foam accommodating chamber, and when an openable cover is closed, the film member is adapted to break by an ink supplying port, making it possible to supply the ink.
With the above-described prior art, since the ink injection hole is used when ink is injected under pressure into the foam through an ink injecting portion, the ink filling time becomes prolonged, which resultantly constituted a factor for higher cost.
In addition, although the above-described publicly known example is excellent in that the ink fill-processing is simplified by making the insertion and withdrawal of the foam possible, the processing step for replacing the foam is added, so that the complication of the ink fill-processing is unavoidable.
A first object of the present invention is to provide an ink cartridge in which a supply hole means is connected to an ink accommodating means in such a manner as to be detachably fitted thereto and which has a simple structure and can withstand use over extended periods of time.
A second object of the present invention is to provide an ink cartridge which makes it possible not only for a manufacturer of the ink cartridge but also a user to easily effect the regeneration processing of a used ink cartridge.
A third object of the present invention is to provide an ink cartridge in which the ink supplying means of the ink cartridge is simply detachable and replaceable by means of the operator""s fingers or by using a household tool such as pinchers and pliers.
A fourth object of the present invention is to make it possible to effect the regeneration processing of only the ink supplying portion removed from the ink cartridge, thereby making it possible to effect a substantial reduction in cost.
A fifth object of the present invention is to provide an ink cartridge which is capable of speedily and effectively filling ink with the foam filled in a foam chamber.
A sixth object of the present invention is to provide an ink cartridge which makes it possible to fill ink in a very short time by making opposite ends of the foam chamber in an open state.
A seventh object of the present invention is to provide an ink cartridge which makes it possible to simply remove upper and lower covers capable of closing the foam chamber from a cartridge frame member through retention and disengagement between engaging legs of the upper and lower covers and engaging projections provided on the cartridge frame member, thereby facilitating the ink filling operation.
An eighth object of the present invention is to provide an ink cartridge which in which an engaging cross section of a seal member is acute-angled to increase the amount of ink filled.
A ninth object of the present invention is to provide an ink cartridge which improves the sealing performance of a seal member provided with ribs on an upper cover.
A 10th object of the present invention is to provide an ink filling device and an ink filling method which are capable of supplying a large quantity of ink speedily from an open end of the foam chamber into the foam chamber.
An 11th object of the present invention is to provide an ink cartridge which is capable of effectively supplying ink by making use of a negative-pressure generating means.
The following are characteristic features in the configuration of the present invention for attaining the above objects.
1. An ink cartridge in a recording apparatus or the like which is capable of supplying ink to recording means, comprising: ink accommodating means capable of accommodating the ink in an interior thereof; and supply hole means capable of supplying the ink, wherein the supply hole means is detachably fitted to the ink accommodating means.
2. An ink cartridge in a recording apparatus or the like according to item 1, wherein the supply hole means is capable of being disassembled and assembled.
3. An ink cartridge in a recording apparatus or the like according to item 1 or 2, wherein the supply hole means comprises negative-pressure generating means.
4. An ink cartridge in a recording apparatus or the like according to item 1 or 2, wherein the supply hole means has a packing member and a seal member for sealing the supply hole provided on an outer side of the packing member.
5. An ink cartridge in a recording apparatus or the like according to item 1, 2, or 4, wherein the ink accommodating means has an ink-retaining porous member fitted therein.
6. An ink cartridge in a recording apparatus or the like wherein an upper cover having openable venting means and a lower cover having ink supplying means are respectively fitted detachably to one side of a cartridge frame member provided with a both-end open foam chamber and to another side thereof in such a manner as to seal the foam chamber.
7. An ink cartridge in a recording apparatus or the like according to item 6, wherein attaching and detaching means for fitting the upper cover and the lower cover to the cartridge frame member is arranged such that engaging legs provided projectingly on the upper cover and the lower cover are detachably retainable at engaging projections provided on the cartridge frame member.
8. An ink cartridge in a recording apparatus or the like according to item 6 or 7, wherein the seal members are provided between the upper cover and the cartridge frame member and between the lower cover and the cartridge frame member.
9. An ink cartridge in a recording apparatus or the like according to item 8, wherein a sealing engaging cross section of the seal member is acute-angled.
10. An ink cartridge in a recording apparatus or the like according to item 6, wherein a rib whose height varies and whose central portion is highest is provided on an inner surface of the upper cover.
11. An ink cartridge in a recording apparatus or the like according to item 6, 7, or 8, wherein a plurality of foam chambers are independently juxtaposed in the cartridge frame member, the upper cover formed as one unit and the lower cover formed as one unit for hermetically closing the foam chambers are detachably fitted to the cartridge frame member.
12. An ink filling device capable of supplying ink to an interior of a cartridge frame member of the ink cartridge, wherein a plurality of ink supplying/discharging tools capable of hermetically abutting against open ends of a foam chamber filled with foam are respectively provided with ink circulating chambers and engaging seal members provided with ink through holes for supplying the ink to the foam, and ink supplying sections for supplying the ink to the ink circulating chambers are respectively connected to the ink circulating chambers.
13. An ink filling device according to item 12, wherein the ink circulating chambers are selectively communicably connected to the ink supplying sections and ink recovering sections via changeover valves, respectively.
14. An ink filling method for supplying ink to an ink cartridge, comprising the steps (1) to (4):
(1) causing ink supplying/discharging tools to hermetically abut against open opposite ends of a cartridge frame member filled with foam;
(2) causing the ink supplied from one of ink supplying sections to be supplied reversibly to a foam chamber through ink through holes provided in seal members respectively attached to outer ends of ink circulating chambers;
(3) disengaging the ink supplying/discharging tools from the cartridge frame member; and
(4) fitting the covers to the cartridge frame member in such a manner as to seal the foam chamber by means of the upper cover and the lower cover.
15. An ink filling method according to item 14, wherein the ink is supplied after the upper cover and the lower cover are removed from the cartridge frame member of used the ink cartridge.
16. An ink cartridge in a recording apparatus or the like according to item 3, wherein the negative-pressure generating means includes a movable-valve portion and a fixed-valve portion.
17. An ink cartridge in a recording apparatus or the like according to item 1, 2, 3, 4, or 16, wherein fitting means for detachably fitting the supply hole means to the ink accommodating means is fitting means selected from among screw means, snap-fit type attaching/detaching means, and press-fitting means.
In terms of the operation, as will be described in detail in the section on the best mode for carrying out the invention, the ink accommodating means constituting a part of the ink cartridge and the supply hole means for supplying the ink can be easily detachably fitted to each other without requiring a special tool or the like. In addition, the ink supplying means can be disassembled, and the negative-pressure generating means is provided to ensure efficient supply of ink.